Interlocking structure for fences or the like



Oct. 19, 1965 D. H. REVELL ETAL 3,212,754

INTERLOGKING STRUCTURE FOR FENCES OR THE LIKE Filed April 18, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 n n H mm mm m IZA CIJILZILIi111?.llT'JLTIJIII111111: will; I.

U [LU H. H. LLJJ Nil .2 LLJJ [Ll] INVENTORS DONALD H. REVELL JOSEPH BALFOUR BYfikm (kW ATTORNEY 1965 D. H. REVELL ETAL 3,212,754

INTERLOCKING STRUCTURE FOR FENCES OR THE LIKE Filed April 18, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS DONALD H. REVELL JOSEPH BALFOUR BY BL LW ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,212,754 INTERLOCKING STRUCTURE FOR FENCES OR THE LIKE Donald H. Revell and Joseph Balfour, Louisville, Ky.,

assignors to Reynolds Metals Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 22,803 1 Claim. (Cl. 256-22) This invention relates to an interlocking structure formed of prefabricated components and which may be erected at the site of installation with a minimum of time and labor. More particularly, it relates to an improved structure suitable for use as fencing, although portions of the structure may be employed for forming closures, awnings, sunshades, room dividers, or the like. For purposes of disclosure, however, the invention is shown primarily herein as incorporated into a fence structure, although it is by no means intended to be limited to that sole purpose.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved interlocking structure having a rail and a picket which may be readily interlocked without requiring special tools or separate fastenings.

Another object is to provide an improved interlocking structure including an aligning rail and a picket, the construction of which positions the picket automatically in a fixed predetermined position with respect to the remainder of the completed structure.

A further object is to provide an improved interlocking structure which is adaptable to manifold variations of size and shape without sacrifice of its structural strength.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent as the description proceeds and when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a portion of a fence embodying the invention and indicating by dotted lines one capability of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of an upper portion of a picket shown to a larger scale;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of the picket shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a portion of the aligning rail showing one form of opening and with the retaining means being shown prior to being lifted;

FIGURE 6A is a view similar to FIGURE 6 and illustrates the completed opening in the aligning rail.

FIGURE 6B is a view similar to FIGURE 6A and illustrates the opening in the other rails of this invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 77 of FIG. 6 and showing the retaining means in lifted position and to a larger scale;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view through the assembled picket and aligning rail taken adjacent one edge of the second projecting means and with the retaining means occupying its interlocking position; and

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of a group of interengaged pickets illustrating a secondary use of the same for pro viding a wall of a closure, or the like.

In accordance with the preferred usage of the invention there are provided a plurality of rails having openings into which a plurality of pickets can be readily inserted endwise. One of the rails serves to align the pickets and includes a picket retaining means, such as a tab, which engages a second integral projecting means on the picket following itsinsertion in the rail and which holds the picket against endwise movement in one direction following its assembly. The picket, moreover, includes a first integral "Ice projecting means which engages the same aligning rail and holds the picket against endwise movement in the other direction following its assembly. The other rails in the structure may be mounted in any position as desired along the pickets thus contributing to flexibility of assembly and to variation of design. Moreover, by appropriate location of the projecting means on the picket and appropriate location of the openings in the rails, a wide variation of geometric patterns of rails and pickets may be secured inexpensively.

Considering now FIG. 1, a decorative fence embodying the invention is shown and in which a plurality of pickets or pales 10 are mounted in rails 11 and 12 which in turn are secured at their ends to conventional posts, not shown.

One rail, preferably the upper one, as shown at 11, serves as the picket aligning rail to which the pickets are secured in the manner later to be disclosed. When desired for structural or ornamental purposes, more than two rails may be employed, or the lower rail 12 may be spaced at any desired location along the pickets, as seen in the dotted line position at 12A, thus being relatively movable with respect to the pickets while the single picket aligning rail on the contrary maintains a fixed relative position with respect to those pickets.

The rail 11 may comprise a channel shaped aluminum alloy extrusion, or formed shape, having a flat upper surface 13 and depending side walls 14 and 15 and with an appropriate length, and the other rails may be of like form. However, in the rail 11 a specially shaped opening 40, FIGURE 6A, is formed through the rail surface 13 to receive the picket 10, one such opening 40 being seen at an angle to the axis of the rail in FIG. 6 and serving an ornamental purpose. This opening 40 is formed by lancing the rail along edges 16 and 17 preferably parallel to each other, and along a partial boundary 18 of the opening 40 connecting those two edges. Upon being so pierced, the cantilever supported tab 20 may then be bent upwardly as seen in FIG. 7 until the tab 20 provides the opening 41 as illustrated in FIGURE 6A. Simultaneous ly with, or subsequently to, this formation of the tab 20, the remainder of the picket-receiving opening 40 shown in dotted lines in FIG. 6, is formed by cutting out a section of the surface 13 of rail 11. The ends of the opening 40 may have a suitable configuration to give a snug fit with the edges of the picket and in one ornamental form may be arcuate as shown at 21 and 22. Also between those ends 21 and 22 of the opening 40 a connecting opening or slot 23 of suitable width to receive the central transverse part of the picket is provided to interconnect the respective end 21 or 22 with the central portion 41 of the opening 40. In the form of fence shown in FIG. 1 it will be understood that an opening 40 and tab 20 as described will be provided in rail 11 for each of the pickets 10. However, in the remaining rails employed in the fence, the opening may be merely of a cross-sectional shape to receive the picket 10 and without provision of the tab 20, such as opening 40 illustrated in FIGURE 6B.

Thus, it can be seen that the opening 40 in each rail 11 has an arcuate central portion in the region of the reference numeral 18 is FIGURE 6 and reversely curving end portions interconnected thereto, one of the reversely curving end portions being located in the region of the reference numeral 23 in FIGURE 6.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 to 5, a picket 10 which may be of extruded or otherwise shaped aluminum is provided and may include arcuate curled edges 30 and 31 having dimensions suitable for snugly engaging in the arcuate ends 22 and 21, respectively, of the above-described openings 40. These curled edges possess an appreciable amount of resiliency and upon engagement with the arcuate walls at the ends 21 and 22 of the openings 40 in the rails, fit snugly thereagainst and minimize rattling and vibration of the pickets within those rails. As a feature of the invention, the picket includes a first integral projecting means here shown as a pair of rearwardly projecting indentations 32 and 33, located at a distance from the top edge of that picket which will position the picket at the desired height with respect to the aligning rail 11. At a central portion of the picket and at approximately the same distance from the top of that picket as the first projecting means, a second integral projecting means here shown as a rearwardly projecting indentation 34 is also provided. This second projecting means comprises an inner shoulder 35 facing toward the forward side of the picket.

With the foregoing description in mind, the assembly of the fence will now be evident. Having rails 11 and 12 spaced from each other, a picket is first inserted endwise into corresponding openings in each rail and pushed inwardly until the first projecting means 32 and 33 engage against the upper surface 13 of rail 11, as seen in FIG. 8. Thereafter, by means of any suitable and simple tool, the tab 20 is pressed downwardly into engagement with the upper surface of shoulder 35. Thus, the engagement of projections 32 and 33 with one surface of the rail 11 prevents any displacement of the picket thereafter in one axial direction and engagement of tab 20 with the shoulder 35 on that same picket prevents any displacement of the picket thereafter in the other axial direction. meanwhile, the other rails, as at 12, are not so interlocked with respect to the picket and, if desired, may be adjusted endwise of the picket at any time while still remaining engaged with the picket to prevent transverse movement of that picket.

Many variations of the interlocked structure above described may be employed without departing from the invention. The pitch and angular positions of the openings in the rails may be widely varied to provide such ornamental forms as herringbone designs or alternating diagonal and vertical picket positions. In such variations the locations at which the respective indentations are provided in the pickets would, of course, be correspondingly modified. Although the interlocking of the respective pickets to the rail represents the preferred usage of the invention, it will be apparent that the pickets may be interlocked to each other and then fastened in any suitable manner to a support, as when employed in the forming of closures, awnings, or the like.

In this usage, pickets of the same above-described general form, except for elimination of the indentations and bevelled end portions, may be used. As seen in FIG. 9 for example, a picket 51 having curled edges 52 and 53 may engage with an adjacent picket 54 having curled edges 55 and 56, it being understood that the curled edges of each picket interlock with the respective curled edges of its adjacent pickets. Upon being so interlocked, the

resulting structure may then be mounted upon a member 7 57 to form the desired rigid structure,

Having thus described two usages of the invention as exemplified by a fence having each picket interlocked to an aligning rail and by a closure wall with adjacent pickets interlocked to each other, it will be appreciated that the invention is capable of employment in many forms other than those herein shown. It therefore is contemplated by the appended claim to cover any such modifications as fall within the true scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In an ornamental fence or the like, a plurality of rails each having an opening therein to receive a picket and one of said rails serving as a picket-aligning rail, each of said openings having its major axis at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said rails and terminating in arcuate end walls, a movable picket-retaining means integral with said aligning rail and having a forward edge for contact with an assembled picket, and a picket inserted endwise into said openings in said rails, said picket having resilient curled edges resting in contact with said arcuate end walls of said openings, said picket including first and second integral projecting means extending laterally from the side of the picket opposite said retaining means, said first projecting means projecting laterally outwardly from said picket and being disposed in engagement with one surface of said aligning rail and said second projecting means including an inner shoulder facing said retaining means whereby upon insertion of said picket into said rails, said first projecting means holds said picket against displacement in one axial direction of said picket, said forward edge of said retaining means upon being moved into contact with said picket engages against said shoulder and, holds said picket against displacement in the opposite axial direction, and said resilient curled edges of said picket nest in contact with said arcuate edges of said openings in said rails and reduce vibration of said pickets in said rails.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 286,392 10/ 83 Cornstock et a1. 25657 346,544 8/86 Hanika 25672 485,268 11/92 Flynn 25672 936,246 10/09 Josler -1 25622 1,498,127 6/24 Sommer 25621 1,993,536 3/35 Turner et a1. 25622 2,066,426 1/37 Skilnik 25622 2,218,953 10/40 Gustafson W 25622 2,218,954 10/ 40 Gustafson 25622 2,371,921 3/45 Tucker 25622 2,773,674 12/56 Fischer et al 25622 FOREIGN PATENTS 355,479 8/ 31 Great Britain. 663,009 12/51 Great Britain.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES W. ROBINSON, Examiner. 

